Just got the video & Im confused?!?

[JDSNY10]

Hi Everyone,
Looking for a little or alot of help.. Whichever you can give...
I am fairly new to the boards and figured there has to be somewhere on here that spoke about the DVC.. low and behold, I find it!

Hopefully I wont bore you....
My DW has been throwing up the vacation club since god knows when but then in 2007 (when our first child was born) she starts to make a little sense saying "wouldnt this be a good deal, if we plan on taking him to Disney every year"... Well it got me thinking (now that our second child is due this year). Would we be really saving money?!??
I just finished watching the video (while she is out cause I dont want her nagging me) and it confused me alot more! I dont want to sound like a bafoon when I call them and would like to know alot more info before I do.

They only show certain resorts- are these the only resorts that you can go to? I would like to visit every resort Disney has to offer, will I not be able to go to all of them and only stay at the DVC ones?

Points-how many points to do you need to buy in order to get a dvc? and does this have to be paid upfront?

Are you really saving? we were going on a trip this year but had to be cancelled due to the expecting baby and everything (room/food/air/tickets) were all for $2200.00 staying at a deluxe resort. When you book w/ dvc, your only getting a room, how much of a discount do you get when you want food and tickets added?

I dont want to sound cheap by any means (hey now I have two kids to raise and put thru college) but is this really worth it? Please help me out. I really appreciate all the responses I get as I feel like a lost dog in the woods.

Also, what is this resale thing? Is it legit? and can I get it thru Disney Direct?
I dont want to be the fool that gets no discounts either and pays the full price on something when I know there are people out there getting if for less.

Again, Thanks alot and I really do apprectiate your time and answers.

Jay

 

[tammymacb]

Hi Everyone,
Looking for a little or alot of help.. Whichever you can give...
I am fairly new to the boards and figured there has to be somewhere on here that spoke about the DVC.. low and behold, I find it!

Hopefully I wont bore you....
My DW has been throwing up the vacation club since god knows when but then in 2007 (when our first child was born) she starts to make a little sense saying "wouldnt this be a good deal, if we plan on taking him to Disney every year"... Well it got me thinking (now that our second child is due this year). Would we be really saving money?!??
I just finished watching the video (while she is out cause I dont want her nagging me) and it confused me alot more! I dont want to sound like a bafoon when I call them and would like to know alot more info before I do.

They only show certain resorts- are these the only resorts that you can go to? I would like to visit every resort Disney has to offer, will I not be able to go to all of them and only stay at the DVC ones? You can stay at the Disney resorts as well as the DVC resorts. IMHO, the price to stay at the Disney Resorts isn't worth it. They are far more points a night than staying at a DVC.
Points-how many points to do you need to buy in order to get a dvc? and does this have to be paid upfront? If you buy from Disney, you need to buy 160 points. If you start off with a resale, you can buy any contract size available. Once you are an owner either through Disney or Resale you can add on in point increments starting at just 25.

Are you really saving? we were going on a trip this year but had to be cancelled due to the expecting baby and everything (room/food/air/tickets) were all for $2200.00 staying at a deluxe resort. When you book w/ dvc, your only getting a room, how much of a discount do you get when you want food and tickets added? I know in the long run I'll be saving. I own at BWV and bought a resale contract. I know that it won't take terribly long to make up the cost of the contract vs rack rates for the rooms. Also the Disney Resort prices keep climbing- I can remember when CBI was $89 a night, with DVC you won't have that price increase.I dont want to sound cheap by any means (hey now I have two kids to raise and put thru college) but is this really worth it? Please help me out. I really appreciate all the responses I get as I feel like a lost dog in the woods.

Also, what is this resale thing? Is it legit? and can I get it thru Disney Direct?
I dont want to be the fool that gets no discounts either and pays the full price on something when I know there are people out there getting if for less. As I said, I bought my contract from a resale. I'm very happy with what I got for the money. There are a few reputable resalers out there. Check them out.
Again, Thanks alot and I really do apprectiate your time and answers.

Jay

Good Luck!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

A good friend here on the DIS recently PM'd me with a similar question. He was concerned with the possibility of losing his points if he couldn't go. So, I gave him a brief run down on how he could avoid losing points. However, I think this will helpful for you too. This PM was from one Southerner to another, so the locations mentioned will have a bit of a Southern bend to it.

1. Banking and Borrowing (You can bank points and use them the next year, or borrow points from the next year.) We have 100 points, and took my sisters families with us for a 200 point trip. We banked our 2006 points into 2007 and also used our 2007 points.

2. 5 different categories to use your points.
So that people understand DVC better, Disney divided their planner into 5 categories (DVC, Disney, Concierge, World Passport, and Adventurers) Some of these selections are easier to get than others, and some take a lot of points. However on some of the things that are per person you can use points for one person and pay cash for the other. A little off topic, but you also get a 25% discount if rooms are available at a DVC resort that you wish to pay cash for.

The DVC Collection contains all of the DVC resorts. This includes the 6 on-site resorts plus Hilton Head, SC, and Vero Beach, FL.

The point charts for each of these can be found on the headers for the DVC DIS site. Allearsnet.com has great pictures and DVC website has wonderful 360 views of the rooms. We have been to HH, and it is wonderful. Hawaii should eventually be part of the DVC collection as well. (Maybe, maybe not.) At HH, we used a combo of points and cash with DVC discount.

The Disney Collection allows you to go on a Disney Cruise, or stay in hotel rooms at WDW, DL, DL-Paris, Tokyo Disney, and HK Disney.

All of these point charts are a little high, and their is a lot of discussion on the DIS on whether to use your DVC this way. My thinking is that you wouldn't want to do it all the time, but sometimes DVC allows you to take a trip that you wouldn't have otherwise, so go for it! These points are also by the day or by the cruise.
Examples
1 nt. low season at DL-Paris is 21 pts./nt.
1 nt. low season at POR is 16 pts.
1 nt. Holiday Season Royal Palm Club at GF on wknd is 183 pts.
1 nt. low season MK Tower Room at CR, wkdy, is 44 pts.
A 3 day cruise, in an inside state room is 67 pts. PER PERSON.
A 15 day Panama Canal Cruise in a deluxe family stateroom w/Verandah is 675 pts/person (Ouch!)

The Concierge Collection allows you to use your DVC points to stay at very nice upscale hotels. The points tend to be very high. You can also reserve by the day. The number of hotels in this collection was cut in half from last year. I think these may be fairly easy to reserve.

Current CC hotels are located in San Francisco, Maui, Asheville NC, Coronado CA, Keystone CO, New York City, Washington DC, Lake Tahoe, London, Lake George NY, Stowe VT, and Chicago.
Points range from 19 pts/nt in Keystone CO. to 109 pts. nt. in Maui.
From our perspective, the Grove Park Inn in Asheville NC looks absolutely beautiful and ranges from 25-55 pts./nt.

The World Passport Collection consist of the 500+ interval international (II) resorts plus Club Intrawest and Club Cordial timeshares.

Up until this year, II exchanges were 7 day exchanges. DVC will introduce 3 and 4 day trades this year, but this is TOTALLY NEW. CI & Club Cordial both have nightly trades. You can go about anywhere with II. I haven't ventured into using II yet, so I can't tell you much about it.

I do know that you can go all over Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, US, Canada, Asia, etc. II trades range from 124-160 pts./week for a 1 bedroom and 207-270 pts./week for a 2 bedroom. There are II resorts in Orange Beach, Panama City, Gatlinburg, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, Branson, Florida Beaches, NC mountains, Williamsburg, etc.

The Club Intrawest has resorts in British Columbia, Mexico, and DESTIN, FLORIDA. These are by the night. (Very Reasonable pt. charts.)

Club Cordial has nightly rates in Italy and Austria. (Very Reasonable Pt. charts.)

The Adventurers Collection allows you to take any of the Adventures by Disney, or go into the Rain Forest in Costa Rica or to go on a real African Safari.

If you want more info about the ABD go to the website for ABD. You need a lot of points for this. It is per person and you can use points for one person and pay cash for another. A trip to China in peak season is 704 pts. / person ((Double Ouch!))

I hope this gives you an idea of how to use your DVC points. DH and I also bought resale. We have 100 BWV points, and love it. The outside companies are a bit cheaper than through Disney, and essential if you wish to get less than 160 points. You will not have any problems if you use TTS.

 

[bevotex]

Hi Everyone,
Looking for a little or alot of help.. Whichever you can give...
I am fairly new to the boards and figured there has to be somewhere on here that spoke about the DVC.. low and behold, I find it!

Hopefully I wont bore you....
My DW has been throwing up the vacation club since god knows when but then in 2007 (when our first child was born) she starts to make a little sense saying "wouldnt this be a good deal, if we plan on taking him to Disney every year"... Well it got me thinking (now that our second child is due this year). Would we be really saving money?!?? If you consider this as a pre-paid vacation, then over the long-term you do save money. If you prefer staying in higher end resorts or suites, then yes you save money. If you are content in the value or moderate resorts, then DVC is probably not for you.
I just finished watching the video (while she is out cause I dont want her nagging me) and it confused me alot more! I dont want to sound like a bafoon when I call them and would like to know alot more info before I do.

They only show certain resorts- are these the only resorts that you can go to? You can stay at any of the non-DVC resorts by utilizing your DVC points. However, many on these Boards do not think that you get a good exchange rate when you trade points in for non-DVC resorts. Additionally, remember you are trading in a suite situation for a hotel room. I would like to visit every resort Disney has to offer, will I not be able to go to all of them and only stay at the DVC ones? You can go to each, provided you have the points to stay at them.

Points-how many points to do you need to buy in order to get a dvc? If you buy from Disney, you need to purchase a minimum of 160 points (about 1 week's worth of points annually). if you buy from a re-sale, you can pick from any of the contracts available. and does this have to be paid upfront? You can finance.

Are you really saving? we were going on a trip this year but had to be cancelled due to the expecting baby and everything (room/food/air/tickets) were all for $2200.00 staying at a deluxe resort. When you book w/ dvc, your only getting a room, how much of a discount do you get when you want food and tickets added?

I dont want to sound cheap by any means (hey now I have two kids to raise and put thru college) but is this really worth it? This is the big question we all need to answer for ourselves. My family and I decided we wanted to go when we wanted with no worries about cost, so we took the plunge. We do not regret the decision one bit. Please help me out. I really appreciate all the responses I get as I feel like a lost dog in the woods.

Also, what is this resale thing? There are generally three that have a lot of DVC re-sales. Is it legit? They are legit. Many are very satisfied with their purchases through re-sale. and can I get it thru Disney Direct? This is how we bought. Smooth transaction for us.
I dont want to be the fool that gets no discounts either and pays the full price on something when I know there are people out there getting if for less.

Again, Thanks alot and I really do apprectiate your time and answers.

Jay

Goof luck to you and your family.

 

[TisBit]

Hi Everyone,

They only show certain resorts- are these the only resorts that you can go to? I would like to visit every resort Disney has to offer, will I not be able to go to all of them and only stay at the DVC ones?

Points-how many points to do you need to buy in order to get a dvc? and does this have to be paid upfront?

Are you really saving? we were going on a trip this year but had to be cancelled due to the expecting baby and everything (room/food/air/tickets) were all for $2200.00 staying at a deluxe resort.

When you book w/ dvc, your only getting a room, how much of a discount do you get when you want food and tickets added?

Also, what is this resale thing? Is it legit? and can I get it thru Disney Direct?

I dont want to be the fool that gets no discounts either and pays the full price on something when I know there are people out there getting if for less.

Your points are for DVC resorts, you can use them at other resorts, but it costs a lot more per point and a $95 exchange fee. DVC resorts are not Hotel rooms, so it is a different type of resort....think more Condo than Hotel. There are 6 DVC resorts currently on site at WDW with more on the way (at least rumored). Only two of those DVC's are stand alone as well, so you will in essence be in the same resorts as Hotel guests, just different room types.

Currently you must purchase a minimum of 160 pts through Disney to join DVC. You do pay per point up front....I believe it is $104 with different incentives for different resorts. Saratoga Springs is currently $10 off, so it would be $94 a point up front. There are also Maintenance fees as well, this is per year and is between 4-5 dollars at most resorts....so there will still be a cost of about 500-600 per year for a 160 pt contract. MF's can also go up each year.

As for savings you can calculate that yourself, based off of what you would pay for a regular room....but again, this is more than a hotel room, if you get a one bedroom it includes a full kitchen and dining room table, etc. So, it is not necessarily apples to apples to compare the two.

Currently there are no discounts on dining plan or tickets, with the exception oof Annual Passes, which are about $100 off. Some restaurants offer a % discount for DVC members.

Resale is not through Disney, but direct from an existing owner. There are advantages and disadvantages to the resale. You can do a search and find many threads about it. Basicly you pay less per point, but it might be a little more in fees or all the points might not be available for a year or so...things like that. Through Disney you are in the system fast, with the current years points and financing direct through disney (which is cheaper than third party).

Keep your eyes open on the discounts. Most of the promotions now require a referral to get the full benefit. I think they are offering a $500 gift card with purchases with referral now. So make sure that you take someones info when you talk to a guide.


Hopefully this will answer some of your basic questions and get you started to understand for a call with DVC. At the top of the boards you can also find links to point charts that show how many points it costs for what types of rooms during what seasons. 160 points can go a very long way if managed to optimize your stays.

 

[tiaquessa]

Hi Everyone,

Are you really saving? we were going on a trip this year but had to be cancelled due to the expecting baby and everything (room/food/air/tickets) were all for $2200.00 staying at a deluxe resort. When you book w/ dvc, your only getting a room, how much of a discount do you get when you want food and tickets added?
Jay

Can you please give us details on the trip for your $2,200.00. That just seems like an amazing price for everything listed, including airfare.

 

[gk90]

This was the sentence that I overheard in the lobby of the Poly last August (DVC salesperson talking to another guest) that got me thinking about DVC as a good value:

"For $15,000 you're getting a vacation at a deluxe WDW resort every year for the next 49 years."

Of course this doesn't include the annual maintenance fees, but that was the moment for me! We don't plan on going to WDW every year and so we're looking for a smaller resale contract.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Think of buying DVC as prepaying your accommodations for the next 40-50 years at today's prices. We purchased DVC 11 years ago, and paid a lot less than points are selling for today. We still get to stay at the same resorts as those who are spending today's dollars, so I look at that as a true savings. Also, we so much prefer the 1,2,or 3 bedroom complete units over the plain old hotel room. Just having the Jacuzzi, kitchen, in room laundry and a seperate space for sleeping is so much nicer. We look at it as a vacation home over a hotel.

 

[tiaquessa]

For the past two years, we have stayed on property (BCV, BWV). For RT airfare, 8 nights in a 1 bedroom villa, 9 day hopper w/ WP, Disney Dining, and a rental car (for the times when we want to go to International Drive), we average a total price of $8,200.00 each trip, not including spending money and extras.

 

[ldo]

as your kids get a bit bigger (or soon if you have a fussy #2 baby), staying in a 1 BR is just divine---being able to put kids down for naps and for the night and then being able to enjoy the rest of the night in the other room is really great---we stay in a hotel room when driving, etc. and we are so spoiled by the 1 BR--I couldn't imagine a whole week in a hotel room with the kids--even a deluxe.
Most DVCs also have good Community Halls for kids--they have organized activities (most free or small fee) as well as you can just go in and hang out--watch WDW movies, PS@ stations with 40 games, color, play games. It is especially appealing to kids ages 5-10--my kids are perfectly happy to play at the great DVC pools and go to the Community Hall for the day.
As for saving $$. I bought a 50 point resale contract for about $4K which is getting us a studio (just Mom and kids) for 5 nights sun-thurs this summer. Moderate rooms are about $169 plus tax, even values are $109. Deluxes are $250+. good luck with your decision. Elaine (ps--we stayed at Saratoga last year, next Old Key West and Boardwalk--we are trying all the DVCs--it's like a different vacation each time).

 

[luna99]

I do know that you can go all over Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, US, Canada, Asia, etc. II trades range from 124-160 pts./week for a 1 bedroom and 207-270 pts./week for a 2 bedroom. There are II resorts in Orange Beach, Panama City, Gatlinburg, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, Branson, Florida Beaches, NC mountains, Williamsburg, etc.

see, this is the part of DVC that really intrigues me. To be able to get a 1 bedroom room/condo in Europe/Mexico/the Caribbean/Asia for even 160 points sounds really amazing to me! I will admit I haven't even begun to do the math and look at what those resorts would cost out of pocket, but if I had 160 DVC points a year and did a Disney Vacation every other year and in between got to go to Europe/Asia/Mexico etc.. I would be a very happy woman!

 

[jarestel]

DVC can make sense financially if you really do go on vacation every year or two, but still it won't be cheap by any means. Annual member dues on a 160-point contract will run you $700-$800 per year and you can be almost certain most years will see that number increase. Add in park tickets, dining, and travel costs and you will be close to or over your current projection of $2200. And that's not counting the initial upfront buy-in of $15000 or so.

Even though we all want to go on vacation every year or 2, it doesn't always work out that way. When you look at the resale listings on the various sites, it's prudent to remember that those are from current DVC members who, for various reasons, didn't make it to the 50 years or so on their contracts and have decided to sell.

Bottom line from my perspective is that DVC can be - but not necessarily so, depending on how you use your membership - a way to save money on yearly vacations over time, but it isn't a bargain travel club at all. It will still be expensive, because it's Disney!

Good luck!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

see, this is the part of DVC that really intrigues me. To be able to get a 1 bedroom room/condo in Europe/Mexico/the Caribbean/Asia for even 160 points sounds really amazing to me! I will admit I haven't even begun to do the math and look at what those resorts would cost out of pocket, but if I had 160 DVC points a year and did a Disney Vacation every other year and in between got to go to Europe/Asia/Mexico etc.. I would be a very happy woman!

You know I'm actually reluctant to stay II, but DIS reviews helps. I really, really, want to hear about the Club Cordial resorts in Austria and Italy.

 

[TisBit]

Annual member dues on a 160-point contract will run you $700-$800 per year and you can be almost certain most years will see that number increase.

Actually that number is not correct. My MF's for a 160 pt contract at SSR are $568.38, so you are off by 100-230 dollars a year. Yes, they will see an increase every year, but so will the Hotel room costs....

DVC can make sense for certain people who do vacation every year and enjoy going to WDW. It is a timeshare, which I didn't think I would ever have, mainly because I don't like the idea of going on vacation to the same place every year. But I do enjoy going to Disney, almost every year, with the ability to go somewhere else if I want to.

see, this is the part of DVC that really intrigues me. To be able to get a 1 bedroom room/condo in Europe/Mexico/the Caribbean/Asia for even 160 points sounds really amazing to me! I will admit I haven't even begun to do the math and look at what those resorts would cost out of pocket, but if I had 160 DVC points a year and did a Disney Vacation every other year and in between got to go to Europe/Asia/Mexico etc.. I would be a very happy woman!

I have not done an II exchange yet myself (almost did Hawaii this year) and I have heard mixed reviews on how successful it is to exchange out.....Especially to the most popular of resorts, but you can do it.


The real key with DVC is the ability to plan in advance. You will not get as much out of it if you call and want to go on vacation next month. Many of the rooms will be booked and you might have to move resorts or not get the size you want. I figure same with II exchanges....if you plan early you will be much more successful in getting what you want.

There are pluses and minus' to DVC and you have to figure it out for yourself. I looked at my last "budget" disney trip while we were down there and saw that even with a $60 a night room off-site and rental car, DVC wouldn't be that much more expensive. I put the initial money down and now know that I can go to Disney every year a lot cheaper than before. In five years I might not be able to afford a couple of grand to go, but I will probably be able to afford my MF's. Plus, now I have no excuse not to take my children to Disney!

 

[mygirl]

I put the initial money down and now know that I can go to Disney every year a lot cheaper than before. In five years I might not be able to afford a couple of grand to go, but I will probably be able to afford my MF's. Plus, now I have no excuse not to take my children to Disney!

EXCELLENT point!

 

[crisi]

On the other hand, there was just a recent thread about people posting that the increased price of airfare, park tickets and food - plus the state of the economy - was making it difficult for them to afford their DVC vacation.

DVC can smooth out a vacation budget. But it isn't a guarentee that you can't vacation cheaper or that the other parts of the vacation will remain affordable.

Sometimes you need the excuse to not take your children to Disney - you can't afford the additional expenses. DVC makes it very difficult to act on that excuse - you have points that need to be used, if you can't use them, you need to waste them or find someone who can use them.

 

[LisaS]

My MF's for a 160 pt contract at SSR are $568.38, so you are off by 100-230 dollars a year.

That number sounds like dues for only part of the year (or maybe you got a large credit for overpayment of estimated property taxes paid in 2007). SSR's 2008 dues are $4.21/pt: 160 pts * 4.21/pt = $673.60

The 2008 dues for a 160-pt contract range from a low of $673.60 (at SSR) to a high of $966.26 (at VB).

 

[TisBit]

That number sounds like dues for only part of the year (or maybe you got a large credit for overpayment of estimated property taxes paid in 2007). SSR's 2008 dues are $4.21/pt: 160 pts * 4.21/pt = $673.60

The 2008 dues for a 160-pt contract range from a low of $673.60 (at SSR) to a high of $966.26 (at VB).

just checked the full invoice, you are correct, there was a $106 credit.

I never need an excuse not to go! But we also normally take 2 or more vacations a year, so even when things are tight, I have other places to cut back. Things can happen that might make DVC unaffordable down the road, but that is true with everything.....I am merely pointing to some of the reason you MAY want DVC.

 

[jarestel]

I never need an excuse not to go! But we also normally take 2 or more vacations a year, so even when things are tight, I have other places to cut back. Things can happen that might make DVC unaffordable down the road, but that is true with everything.....I am merely pointing to some of the reason you MAY want DVC.

The reasons you and others point out for considering DVC are absolutely valid and are reasons I pretty much agree with. However, I think we do potential members who come here seeking advice a disservice by simply blowing pixie dust up their noses. Owning DVC works for me, but it's not the only way to have an affordable and enjoyable Disney vacation.

Considering all of the angles prior to purchasing (not simply the fun & good times aspect) may possibly prevent disappointment and a trip to the resale broker down the road.

 

[TisBit]

The reasons you and others point out for considering DVC are absolutely valid and are reasons I pretty much agree with. However, I think we do potential members who come here seeking advice a disservice by simply blowing pixie dust up their noses. Owning DVC works for me, but it's not the only way to have an affordable and enjoyable Disney vacation.

Considering all of the angles prior to purchasing (not simply the fun & good times aspect) may possibly prevent disappointment and a trip to the resale broker down the road.

You are right, I don't tell people they should or should not buy. My first post answered the OP's questions.....but yours seemed to be a negative response. Everyone is different, their finances, vacations styles, etc. I was merely pointing out the positives. I don't necessarily disagree with your post and might have misinterpreted it....

I think it is interesting that on these boards, there is also a trend that encourages add-ons/large contract purchases. I am definitely a buy minimum and see how it goes. You can always add on without losing as much money as buying too much. One of the benefits I really like of DVC. I have a 160 pt contract, which seems to work for us....I don't HAVE to go every year. But that is for us.